Tamil Nadu bans screening of 'Vishwaroopam' for 2 weeks

Members of National League party stage a protest against actor Kamal Haasan's new movie Vishwaroopam in front of his office at Alwarpet in Chennai. (BCCL)

CHENNAI: In an apparent bid to pacify Muslim organizations, which have been protesting against Kamal Haasan's 'Vishwaroopam' saying it showed their community in poor light, the Tamil Nadu government has prohibited the film's screening in the state for two weeks. The tri-lingual was to release in theatres across the country on Friday.

The government on Wednesday instructed all district collectors to prevent the film's screening for two weeks days by invoking prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC, citing a possible law and order situation in the run-up to Milad-ul-Nabi. Sources said the government directive was faxed to all the district collectors, who in turn ordered theatre owners not to screen the film.

While Haasan is in the US for the film's release in theatres there, the ban in Tamil Nadu could prove a major setback for the actor-director. The decision to ban the film was taken on Wednesday evening at a meeting convened by the chief minister at the secretariat soon after she returned from Kodanad.

An official release said the CM chaired a high-level meeting to review law and order situation in the state. "The chief minister was concerned the film could aggravate the law and order situation in the state and sought views of senior officials. It was then decided that the film would be banned for two weeks," said a senior government official.

The decision came after representatives of 24 Muslim organizations and political parties, under the banner of 'Federation of Muslim Organisations', met home secretary R Rajagopal at the secretariat on Wednesday. "The film is aimed at tarnishing Islam and Muslims. Its release is bound to disturb communal harmony," Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam leader and MLA M H Jawahirullah said.